1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boarding bridge that is used by passengers to board and deboard an aircraft or ship or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
A boarding bridge may be a tunnel-shaped walkway passage that links, for example, a terminal building of an airport and an aircraft, and enables direct boarding and deboarding of passengers between the terminal building and the aircraft.
The intermediate passage portions of the boarding bridge are constructed of plural passage sections that are telescopically fit, and the boarding bridge is extended and retracted by these passage sections moving relative to each other in a longitudinal direction. Thus, the distance between the terminal building and the aircraft can be accommodated.
However, because the passage sections are telescopically fit, there are level differences in the passages of adjacent passage sections, and there is a concern that passengers may trip and fall on these level differences.
As a device for eliminating these level differences, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-90770, a device is used that bridges the steps between the passages of adjacent passage sections.
However, the device that bridges the steps as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-80770, does not eliminate the steps in a fundamental manner, and thus there remains, as before, the concern that a passenger may trip and fall at the portion of the step.
In addition, there is the problem that for a passenger in a wheel chair, passing through the boarding bridge may be difficult.
In particular, in view of the development of recent barrier free structures, a passage that eliminates the level differences is even more necessary.
Furthermore, an inexpensive, trouble-free, and strong structure is required.
In consideration of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a boarding bridge that has an inexpensive, trouble-free, and strong structure, eliminates the level differences between the passage portions of adjacent passage sections, and enables a reduction in the occurrence of falling and the like.